Israel frees senior Hamas leader

A senior leader of the Islamic

Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the West Bank was released after two years of

detention in an Israeli jail, Palestinian witnesses said Thursday.

Sheikh Hassan Yousef, head of Hamas political bureau in the West

Bank, was arrested in August 2002 during a large-scale Israeli operation.

Israel Radio reported that Yousef, the most high-ranking Hamas

activist jailed by Israel, was released after Israeli security intelligence

services failed to find out a link between Yousef and suicide bombing attacks

carried out by Hamas militants against Israel in the West Bank.

Yousef was shown on Israeli television walking out of the Ofer

military jail to his waiting family.

After the release, he immediately traveled to Ramallah, where he

placed a wreath and offered prayers at Yasser Arafat's grave.

Yousef called on the new Palestinian leadership to help secure

the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

"I take with me a message from all prisoners to the Palestinian

people," Yousef said. "The issue of prisoners should be a priority, and there

can be no truce without solving the issue.

Yousef was not convicted or sentenced by any Israeli military

court, since there were no charges brought upon him for involvement in any

militant activity.

Source: Xinhua